Emergence
Emergence is a live-action spy thriller/crime drama about a small group of elite agents from the Izeran Intelligence Service, Ae Abex and the Archiveros who must overcome personal, professional and cultural differences to stop a clandestine network of terrorists from destabilizing the galaxy. It started airing in 3550 and has since continued for 5 more seasons, with a new one slated to start in 3556. Subtitles are available in most other languages, but no official dubs have ever been made. Plot Summary After nearly-successful attempts on the lives of both the Izeran Empress and the Queen of Verandi hit international headlines, the Sirian Assembly is bombed, seriously wounding most MPs. Before any of the intelligence agencies can properly begin their investigations, news broadcasts around the galaxy are commandeered and a threatening message from an international terrorist organization, calling themselves the Deathwalkers, is broadcast instead. The terrorists claim responsibility for the assassination attempts and the bombing, and threaten further action unless they are paid an enormous ransom of several trillion Gine. While the GN convenes for an emergency meeting, the Izeran Empress, the Queen of Verandi and the Sirian Chairwoman all meet in person at a top-secret location. They agree that some "extra-ordinary" actions may be necessary, given the extreme circumstances, and that they can more effectively protect themselves, their respective nations and the galaxy by secretly bypassing the GN. A small, joint task force is then authorized. A few months later, the show's protagonists meet for the first time in what will become their top-secret base of operations. As they discuss the Deathwalkers' more recent attacks and introduce themselves, the differences between them begin to show, and its clear that they do not get along and don't trust each other. Just as tensions reach a boiling point, however, a fourth character is introduced as the group's commander and leader. The rest of the series follows the three agents as they head out on various missions, slowly coming to trust and respect one another as the the terrorist threat gradually intensifies. Characters *Operative Aekirrn Moullo: A Sirian woman with a bad attitude and a history to match. An expert with heavy weapons, demolition and explosives, renowned for her CQC prowess. A humourless woman, she prefers to work alone and doesn't follow the rules; a true loose cannon, she'd have been discharged years ago if it weren't for her exceptional ability to get the job done, by any means necessary. *Senior Field Operator Jonathan Arciniega: A suave Verandi man who is well-liked by his colleagues, at least partially because he's blackmailing some of them. A former confidence trickster, he is known for his sleight-of-hand tricks, persuasiveness, and being a master of disguise, as well as a skilled pilot. Always easy-going, he loves his vices and is an unabashed womanizer, and a possible alcoholic, though he's never one to let these guilty pleasures get the better of his performance or professionalism. He believes that rules have their usefulness, but need to be flexible and bend according to the situation. *Special Operator Nalae Ssela: A Theran woman with a cool head and great deal of professional pride. An ace sniper and a expert in cyberwarfare, she is also a excellent shot with most small arms and a masterful interrogator. From practically day one of her career in IZIS, she was a model agent and has since had a sterling career replete with honours and decorations. Never one to operate by emotion or instinct, she is cold, logical and very by-the-book, preferring to follow protocol to the letter whenever possible. *"Commander John:" Little is known about the group's mysterious leader, however he has the undeniable endorsement of the Empress, the Queen and the Chairwoman, giving him authority over the agents and their missions. He receives his intelligence from an unknown source and somehow seems to have intimate knowledge of each agent. He appears to be human, but throughout the series the agents speculate as to whether or not he is something or someone else in disguise, like an android or an advanced hologram. He acts as a mediator and a leader, helping the agents settle their differences and guiding them through their missions. Reception The Akandan Times reviewer Jackev Artips gave it a 4/5, calling it "intense" and saying that it succeeds in keeping viewers "on the edge of their seats" throughout each episode and that that the plot twists "are all very good ... completely come out of nowhere, in a good way." Despite this, Artips faulted the series, saying that it was "sometimes repetitive" and occasionally fails to build suspense "resulting in slow moments that break up an otherwise heart-pounding experience." The Essao Record ''praised Emergence for its "tantalisingly realistic" set up and the "spine tingling suspense" that the series provides. It went on to say that the mystery of "Commander John"'s identity "added an extra layer of mystery that the series exploits to the full". However, one criticism it made was that the question of "Commander John" and his identity was being dragged out "painfully". It added that although it understood the reasoning behind it, it felt the characters sometimes bordered on "unrealistic". Nevertheless, it said that it eagerly awaited the next season. ''Emergence was aired in the Verandi Empire on select channels, where it was favorably received. Former Archiveros agent Maxwell Hosea, Lord of Seo commended the series, finding it enthralling and the character dynamics amusing. He did not comment on the authenticity of the series beyond "That's classified." with a wink of his eye. Category:Mass Media Category:Izera